Judgement is in the eye of the beholder

Your opinion, my opinion: Everybody's different and therefore everyone's idea of something will never be the same.

Making a judgment, or judging a situation can hardly be described as a simple task.

But with the broad scope of these words they can almost spread between the sublime and the ridiculous.

When I want to add some condiments to my dinner plate, I need to judge the quantity so that they will enhance and not destroy the meal before me.

Likewise, in cooking, one has to judge the amount being added to the mixture if you want the best result.

Neither of these could be described as serious matters.

THE LEGAL SYSTEM

At the other end of the spectrum there are our legally appointed Judges, Advocates and Magistrates who carry enormous responsibility to ensure that the judgments they hand down that will affect the lives and futures of the people before them are based on solid evidence, sound research and full understanding of all the facts of the case.

At another completely different level, there is the tendency to make judgments about other people, situations and circumstances based on the flimsiest of information, on hearsay, or on unsubstantiated gossip.

YOU CAN NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

There used to be a saying “innocent until proven guilty”.

Sadly, in today’s society, people, especially prominent figures, are often named and shamed in the public forum before their cases appear in the judicial system.

Even when they are deemed innocent within the legal system, their whole lives and futures are damaged because of the prejudgment.

Recently there has been news of illicit publicity on University Campuses in favour of Nazism. Do we jump immediately into condemnation of the offenders, or do we try to find out what motivated them?

ASYLUM SEEKERS NO DIFFERENT

Repeatedly, we hear condemnatory remarks about desperate Refugees and asylum seekers, especially those struggling to be admitted to Australia, uttered by people whose knowledge of the entire subject is minimal to say the least.

Often, our opinions change dramatically when we have actually met, or exchanged conversations or ideas with people or their loved ones who have walked this path.

It’s a bit like the adage “I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet”. Recently I read a little item about a faulty judgment.

This lady was waiting at the Bus Stop, and young girl was there too. The lady didn’t quite like the look of the girl, and said to herself,”I hope she doesn’t talk to me. She’s not my type”.

Next, the lady in question realised she had left her purse inside the house and darted off to retrieve it. While she was doing this the Bus arrived, and when she returned the girl was asking the driver to wait a moment because another passenger was on the way!

Judgment was reversed, and the lady thanked the girl and the driver.

Next time I feel tempted to make a judgment about someone else – their race or colour or religion – the clothes they are wearing or their unusual hairdo – or anything else about them I don’t quite fancy, maybe it would be a good idea to refrain and rest my case!